Ahead of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, which kicks off on 11th June, Louis Vuitton today unveiled the travel case it has created to hold football’s greatest prize, the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

Commissioned by FIFA, the special order case, handmade by a single master craftsman in Louis Vuitton’s historic Asnières workshop near Paris, has been meticulously designed to accommodate the celebrated Trophy, which measures 36 cm in height, weighs 6.175 kg and is made of solid 18-carat gold with a base of semi-precious malachite. Covered in Louis Vuitton’s iconic Monogram canvas, the travel case is fitted with the company’s signature brass lock and corners, and has a dark brown lining that complements the Trophy’s rich gold.

Like all Louis Vuitton special orders, the FIFA World Cup Trophy case was made at the company’s original workshop in Asnières, which opened in 1859. The case opens at the front and at the top to allow the Trophy to be removed easily when, at the final on 11th July in Johannesburg, watched by many millions of people across the globe, it will be presented.

Exclusive images of the case and its production process in the Louis Vuitton atelier follow after the jump.